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SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Hamilton City Council’s near miss as sexpo firm folds

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The company wanting to host a sex expo at Claudelands went into liquidation the same day it asked the Hamilton City Council to agree to the show.

Councillor Dave Macpherson said the council had had a lucky escape despite not being aware of the financial situation when it voted 9-1 last week against hosting the Erotica Lifestyle Expo.

Eden Digital Ltd, which held the licence for Erotica Lifestyles Expo, was put into liquidation on November 22 and, according to the liquidator’s report, struggled to attract large numbers to the event and had suffered cashflow problems.

Auckland-based liquidator Grant Reynolds said sole shareholder CVC Group director John Carr appointed him to liquidate the company after realising it had no way to repay its debts.

CVC Group removed the licence for Erotica from Eden Digital “some months back” and as a result the company had lost its revenue-earning ability.

This month CVC set up Esprit Events, which is the new licence-holder for Erotica.

Eden Digital went into liquidation owing $434,000 [most of it to IRD] and Mr Reynolds said it was unlikely any of the unsecured creditors would be repaid in full.

ASB Showgrounds in Auckland is among the unsecured creditors. [It had served as a venue for Erotica Lifestyles Expo for some years, but recently its management ended its contract with the Expo organisers, no doubt due to unpaid bills].

Source https://www.spcs.org.nz/wp-admin/post-new.php

Story by Nikki Preston. Published Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Continues ……

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Erotica Lifestyle Expo – “potential moral impact on the community”

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There will be no sex expo in Hamilton under the current council’s watch.

All but one Hamilton City councillor at yesterday’s strategy and policy meeting voted against hosting the R18 event at the new Claudelands Event Centre in March, amid accusations of trying to win votes after the V8 debacle cost the city almost $40 million.

Councillor Ewan Wilson was the lone supporter of pornographer Steve Crow’s Erotica Lifestyles Expo show being held at the council-owned centre.

Staff decided to let councillors make the final decision because of the sex expo’s potential moral impact on the community. Councillors voted nine against and one for the event.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10768050

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Eden Digital Ltd, former holder of Erotica Lifestyles Expo license: – in liquidation

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Eden Digital Ltd, a company that sold and distributed hardcore pornography in New Zealand for over three years and until recently was directed by US investor John Malcolm Carr CPA, was placed into liquidation yesterday, 22 November 2011, under s. 241(2)(a) of the Companies Act 1993.

See: US-based critic of economy [John M Carr CPA: (see photo http://www.carr.co.nz/images/jmc.jpg ) has lots more to say

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=154653

The majority of the estimated total deficit of Eden Digital Ltd (Co. No. 2122974), $434,000, is owed to the NZ Inland Revenue Department: $147,000 in GST/PAYE (IRD is a preferential creditor) and  $148,000 owed to IRD (unsecured creditor). A total of $295,000 is therefore owed to IRD.

In addition, trade creditors (unsecured) are owed $119,000 and $20,000 is owed in wages/entitlements to the companyy’s former employees. (see Liquidator’s first report published today on the Companies Office website (www.companies.govt.nz).

The report records the reasons provided by the director Mr John M Carr CPA for Eden Digital being put into into liquidation and they include:

(1) the company was in default with its financiers and demand was made on the company due to that default, (2) the company has been supported financially by related entities [all directed by John M Carr CPA] and recently their financial support was withdrawn (3) the business was recently sold and such proceeds were applied to the security holders including CVC Group Ltd directed by John M Carr CPA (see below) (4) with no remaining assets the company was unable to trade and as a result its only shareholder [CVC Group Ltd, directed by John M Carr CPA] had no option but to place the company into receivership, (5) Eden Digital Ltd that held the licence for Erotica Lifestyles Expo, cancelled the license which meant that this aspect of its business could not continue.

The Waikato Times reported on 18 November 2011 that the Hamilton City Council “had been approached by Eden Digital Media [sic] to book Claudelands [event venue] for the [Erotica Lifestyles] expo in March [2012]“.

Fortunately for the Council, its councillors voted yesterday against allowing this hardcore porn fest using council facilities, given the fact that Eden Digital Ltd was probably insolvent throughout much of the period of time that its officers entered into negotiations with the Hamilton City Council. The Liquidator will be examining such matters to determine whether or not the company director John M Carr may have committed offences under the Companies Act 1993 (eg. trading whie insolvent)..

The majority of councillors (9 to 1) took the view that it was “inappropriate” to use the Claudelands venue for the staging of porn related activities as proposed by David Bruce Crow. They voted against the Arena being used for this proposed event.

David Bruce Crow, has been reported as acting as “spokesperson” for Esprit Events Ltd (Co. No. 3648912), another company directed by John M Carr and only recently incorporated on 10 November 2011. David Crow made an approach to the Hamilton City Council seeking the use of the Claudelands event venue for the sexpo, but without success. Concerned over the moral welfare of the community, councillors voted against the proposed use of the events venue to stage and promote porn 9 to 1.

Secured creditors of Eden Digital Ltd include its shareholder, CVC Group Ltd, directed by John M Carr, Vision rentals Ltd, Solutions Group Receivables, Konica Minolta Business Solutions and Harper Collins Publishers.

Unsecured creditors include Inland Revenue; Ezisoft Computer Systems Ltd directed by David Bruce Crow and owned by his wife Carolyn Rose Crow; NZX Media Ltd, co-directed by David Bruce Crow; PJ Digital Ltd, owned and directed by John Malcolm Carr; Florida US -based Better Business Services, Inc., owned and directed by John Malcolm Carr; and the ASB Showgrounds, Epsom, Auckland – the former longtime venue for Erotica Lifestyles Expo.

All unsecured creditors are unlikely to receive anything according to the Liquidator, Grant Bruce Reynolds of Reynolds & Associates Ltd, Insolvency Practitioners of Penrose,  Auckland.

Update: Liquidatation Notice – NZ Herald Thursday 24 November 2011. The failed company was put into liquidation pursuant to section 241(2)(a) of the Companies Act 1993.

Reference

The Bob Dey Property Report (the week to 27 November 2011)

Voluntary liquidation: Steve Crow-related Eden Digital sells business, closes

http://www.propbd.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=17011&SID=1061986009

Company: Eden Digital Ltd
Directors: Raymond Simpson, Mt Eden
Liquidation: 22 November
Solvent: No
Liquidators: Grant Reynolds (Reynolds & Associates Ltd)
Other details: The company held the licence for the Erotica Lifestyle Expo, but the licence was cancelled because of defaults. The business was recently sold. Mr Simpson is a director of Bodyrock Promotions (NZ) Ltd (removed from register 2004) & Digital Matrix Ltd (removed from register 2004). Former directors are Steve Crow, Ellerslie, & John Carr, now of Cromwell. Mr Crow – best known for running the Boobs on Bikes parade down Queen St – put Malibu Media Limited (ex-Erotica Expo Ltd) & Z4K74D Ltd (ex-Vixen Direct Ltd) into liquidation in 2009. He told the liquidators wholesale adult products company Vixen Direct was hit by piracy & parallel importing over the past 2 years, while attendances for the last 2 Erotica expos in Christchurch & Wellington were down by 50%, hitting sales. Mr Crow’s Eden Media Ltd was wound up on 21 May, Brass Magazine Ltd in August 2008, Les Obstacles de l’Amour Ltd 2006. Mr Crow is a director of CVC Group Ltd, HWGA Co Ltd, Sidefx Ltd & Vixen Publications Ltd.

Erotica Lifestyles Expo rejected as unsuitable for Hamilton city

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The Hamilton City Council has turned down an approach by the organisers of the Erotica Lifestyles Expo to hold the event at Claudelands next March. [The expo was to be run by Esprit Events Ltd, directed by John Malcolm Carr and owned by CVC Group Ltd – also owned by Mr John M Carr] .

The Strategy and Policy Committee yesterday rejected the proposal, viewing the event to be held at the Council-run Claudelands events venue as unsuitable for the city. [The expo promotes hardcore pornography].

The Committee agreed that a report into the need for a policy on appropriate events to be held at Council premises, including Claudelands, and in public places was required. This report will return to the Committee early next year.

Committee chair Maria Westphal said: “We had a full discussion around the proposal to host this event, but our view was that it was not appropriate to hold it at Council’s Claudelands venue.

‘The view of most councillors was that the adult lifestyles aspect of the Expo, and the likely promotion of it with the ‘Boobs on Bikes’ parade was not a good fit with the family friendly values of our city.”

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/11941317/thumbs-down-for-erotica-lifestyles-expo/

Note: Esprit Events Ltd (Co. No. 3648912) was incorporated on 10 November 2011.  Its spokesperson in media reports on the expo has been David Bruce Crow. Its registered office is at 2b/18 Triton Drive, Albany, NSC 0632.

Hamilton Councillors Should Reject Sex Expo – says Family First NZ

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Family First NZ, a registered charity with the Charities Commission, has issued a media release today, calling on Hamilton Councillors to refuse an application t0 stage a Sex Expo, promoting hardcore pornography, in council-owned buildings.

Family First NZ Media Release 18 November:

Hamilton Councillors Should Reject Sex Expo

Family First NZ is calling on Hamilton Councillors to reject the application for the Erotica Expo to be held in the council-owned Claudelands Arena.

 “Council buildings should only be available for family-friendly events which are beneficial to the community. The Erotica Expo is simply an attempt to normalise the hard core pornography industry,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

 “Pornography has a damaging effect on intimacy, love, and respect and at its worst, leads to sex role stereotyping, viewing persons as sexual objects, and family breakdown.”

 Research at Australia’s La Trobe University recently concluded “This is not about couples going to the porn store to spice up their sex lives. Men in growing numbers are using porn in ways that are secret, shameful and damaging. It is having a damaging impact on intimacy and sexuality.”

Research has also shown that children who are exposed to pornography develop skewed ideas about sex and sexuality, which lead to negative stereotypes of women, sexual activity at a young age, and increased aggression in boys.

A meta-analysis of research by the National Foundation for Family Research and Education (NFFRE) at the University of Calgary found that viewing pornography leads to perceptions of sexual dominance, sex role stereotyping, viewing persons as sexual objects, sexual aggressiveness, and sexually hostility and violent behaviours.

“We are asking the Hamilton City Council to exercise moral leadership and act in the best interests of families by rejecting this application. The Council should not be associated in any way with the promotion of the pornography industry which harms our families,” says Mr McCoskrie

ENDS